Frank Colbert Bone, Sr.

Frank Colbert Bone, affectionately known as “Big Frank,” was born on May 4, 1955 to Elihue and Symentha (Bell) Bone, Sr. in Lexa, Arkansas. When he was a young boy, he and his family moved north to Gary, Indiana, where he was baptized at First Baptist Church.

In a region tucked between Indiana’s rural farmland and Chicago’s hustle and bustle, Frank carved out a multifaceted life for himself that was colored beautifully with vices and virtues. While a student at Lew Wallace High School, he was the lead singer in a band and a skilled athlete, yet he spent many solitary hours studying biology and creating inventions. As an adult he worked at NIPSCO and Bethlehem Steel, but his favorite job was to be a pillar of support for Jennifer Willis, whom he married in 1979. Of this union are six children and a menagerie of pets. Years after rededicating his life to Christ at Christ Baptist Church, he, his wife, and their children settled into a quiet existence in Valparaiso, where he enjoyed listening to soul music, singing gospel hymns, fixing cars, guiding his children through adulthood, and making people laugh.

Frank departed this life on the Thursday morning of May 14, 2020. He was preceded in death by his parents, brother Melvin Bone, and sister Shirley Bone House.

Left to cherish Frank’s memory are his wife of 41 years, Jennifer; sons Frank (Rikki) Bone, Jr. and Clark (Ariana) Bone; daughters Lisa Marie, Christina, Brianna, and Gabrielle; granddaughter Giana; brother Elihue (Veronica) Bone, Jr.; sister Zelda Marjoyce (Jerry) Wiggins; pets Lucy, Brett, Lily, and Javert; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.